Is Cosol in St. Lucia as good as people say??

[VOLLEYBALLDUDE2000]

I'd be on the same cruise as you, and I will certainly book with Cosol, pleasure to meet you:)

 

Join us on our roll call section. Look for celebrity millenium march 7th. see you there

[cherl3066]

Absolutely!!!! My family and I just toured St. Lucia with them and had "Fatman" as our driver. The tour was wonderful and informative. My children, ages 14, 10 & 9 also loved it. We weren't able to go to the waterfall due to the hurricane damage, but did get to see everything else on the tour. He offers free drinks(run punch, pop--the banana pop was pretty good :), beer i think, and water. They offer food at a stop consisting of trays of different things like banana or coconut cake, banana fritters, banana ketchup(surprisingly good). We ate yummy coconut cookies, fresh hot bread and yummy fresh cheese.

 

We had a wonderful trip and thought it was very worthwhile. Traffic back was horrible and we arrived at the dock at 4:30 exactly but they dropped us right outside our gate so we were onboard in seconds. I highly recommended their tour.

[LHARTWICK]

We also had Fat Man as our driver. This was our 12th cruise and was easily one of our top 3 excursions, if not #1!!! It is fabulous!!! And the food??? OMG! Incredible!

 

Having said that, if you get motion/car sick easily, you MUST sit up front. This tour consists of miles and miles of hairpin curves and hills. A friend had already warned me, so I sat up front. Another lady in our van became quite ill on the way back because of the roads.

 

Go with Cosol - you will NOT regret it!

[Mr&Mrs]

I would also like to weigh in on Cosol Tours. We reserved in advance for Dec. 8 and Cosol and his staff were easy to find once in port. Based on recommendations on CC we also wanted Cosol as our personal guide/driver, but when it was time to load the vans we jumped in Yellowbird's van and we weren't disappointed. I'm sure Cosol is a excellent guide as we had a chance to interact with him on several stops, but Yellowbird (Cosol's brother) was also endearing, informative and funny!

 

Someone asked about the water taxi. You board the boat from the shore (no dock) so you must hoist yourself up onto the side of the boat. There were plenty of strong men to assist which made it easy.

 

As other recent posts have mentioned we did not make the waterfall due to the hurricane damage but honestly we didn't feel shortchanged at all. It's a day fillled with beautiful views (6+ hours worth)!

 

Bathroom breaks for men are much easier as the van can stop anywhere for a "tree stop". But for the ladies there's the first stop at the house for $1 (which I didn't do), and there's two other stops where the facilities are free: Jalousie Beach and the drive-in volcano.

 

No problems in our van with motion sickness...we sat closer to the back of the van so maybe that helped.

 

If visiting St. Lucia again I'll definitely look up Cosol. Safe travels.

[joelr]

Do you bring the cash with you on the tour and then pay at the end? How do you safeguard the money while swimming at the beach?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Someone asked about the water taxi. You board the boat from the shore (no dock) so you must hoist yourself up onto the side of the boat. There were plenty of strong men to assist which made it easy.

That would never work for me. I don't "hoist" well. Bummer.:(

[Raga59]

Hi, we (Ralf and Gabi from Germany) are just back from our cruise with the Adventure of the seas, departing San Juan at 12/12/2010. We made the tour with Cosol on 12/15/2010 and he himself was our tour guide/car-driver. Cosol explained us so much about "his" island and he is a very friendly man and cares for all the needs of his costumers. We had plenty to eat and to drink on this tour (in the blue bus ;-) following us). We met very friendly people there and we are very glad about this whole experience in St. Lucia. The tour is absolutely worth the money and we can highly recommend it ! Best greetings to all cruisers, especially to the party of 4 "cacruisers" with whom we tried to get in contact via this board but unfortunately there is no mesaging function available here ;-(

[skipnpeanut]

We loved Cosol's tour! There were 29 of us and every single one thought it was fabulous. You will NOT be disappointed if you book with him.

[rsdmom]

We just got back from our tour with Cosol and it was wonderful. We had Yellowbird and he was great--very informative and funny. there were 10 of us in his van and it was very comfortable. The food was delicious and the fresh breead and cheese at the end of the day was perfect!!!Even though the weather was not the greatest, the tour made up for itMy kids thought the mobile bar was great--even the 14 yo tried the local spiced rum. We would definitely book with them again

[LHARTWICK]

Oh, yes - the fresh bread and cheese! That was absolutely wonderful! You can not go wrong with Cosol Tours!

 

As far as safeguarding your cash, we use a waterproof container that goes around your neck while we're swimming. It's a little bigger than a deck of cards. Works like a charm! The cruise ship gift shops usually carry them. Or one person stays on the beach with your stuff while the other swims.

[Delta Dear]

I'm not sure if I can 'hoist,' either. The question is about what to expect at Jalousie Beach. My husand and are are older, and have some mobility challenges that would make sitting on the sand difficult. Getting up could be ugly ! LOL

 

Are there any shady areas where we could sit other than paying to eat at the resort as a means of having a seat. Since his kidney transplant, my husband does not do well in the sun or heat for long periods of time. So we need to make sure we can do this part of the trip in Feb. when we go.

 

Our tour is with Spencer Ambrose, but I dont' see a thread on here. I'm sure the Jalousie Beach policies are the same no matter who the tour guide.

 

Just how expensive are the hotel foods and what distance fromt he boat to the resort. My husband has some back/leg/mobility problems and cannot walk very long distances.

 

Thanks for whatever you can tell me.

[Delta Dear]

Ah, I saw a youtube of people getting into water taxi at Jalousie Beach. It looks very doable even with my knees.

 

One more question for those of you who have visited Jalousie Beach. Is there one location from which the water taxis operate? If you are with a tour group with Spencer Ambrose, and your group is staying at the beach for an hour or so, are you free to take the water taxi back early and just wait on your tour van for the others to return, or must the group stay together ?

 

Since not having available places to sit will be an issue for my husband, I'm trying to find a Plan B that will allow for the beach without having to stand around for an hour while others enjoy the sand, sun and surf.

[cindyz12]

He gives a very good and full tour, though I am now disappointed that in a period of about two years he's increased the price from USD 45.00 to USD 60.00. Still worth the higher price.

 

Price is now up to $65.00 :eek:

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Ah, I saw a youtube of people getting into water taxi at Jalousie Beach. It looks very doable even with my knees.

 

One more question for those of you who have visited Jalousie Beach. Is there one location from which the water taxis operate? If you are with a tour group with Spencer Ambrose, and your group is staying at the beach for an hour or so, are you free to take the water taxi back early and just wait on your tour van for the others to return, or must the group stay together ?

 

Since not having available places to sit will be an issue for my husband, I'm trying to find a Plan B that will allow for the beach without having to stand around for an hour while others enjoy the sand, sun and surf.

Do you have a link to that youtube video?

[Delta Dear]

Here you are, Ginny. I think this looks doable for my knees, hope this helps you decide. When are you going? We will be there Feb.1 or 2nd, 2011. I'll let you know when I come back, or you do the same if you will be there before I am.

[kturner2206]

How do you book one of these tours? Do you go through you cruiseline?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Here you are, Ginny. I think this looks doable for my knees, hope this helps you decide. When are you going? We will be there Feb.1 or 2nd, 2011. I'll let you know when I come back, or you do the same if you will be there before I am.

 

Thanks! That looks doable for me, too.:) Sometimes I just need to visualize. You will have to tell me what it's like. I have a loooooooong time to wait. We don't go on that cruise until May '12!:eek: I just start reading these boards and 'pre-plan' right after I book. I know...obsessive.:D

[Delta Dear]

Hi Ginny, I understand the compulsiveness when it comes to CC. I am totally addicted.

 

We will be touring with Spencer Ambrose and I just read that he now has his own boat, no more water taxi. LOL, I hope it is easy to get into. I will watch what others do who come by water taxi and let you know what I observe. Happy cruising on CC until May 12.

[ncdachsiemom]

Price is now up to $65.00 :eek:

 

However, at $65.00 it is a real deal, in my opinion. It would take three of the ship tours at a much higher cost to see what he shows you. And the food, drinks and general ambiance is so wonderful with Cosol and his group. I have been twice and loved it!

[dnlb08]

It sounds like most people go with bigger groups, is it just as fun/fine to go with just two people?

[sundecksally]

Dec 6th 2010...Fab full day out ,plenty of lovely local food ,drinks always offered throughout day ,friendly polite driver and colleagues ,good photostops ,enjoyable boatrip to beach ,value for money ...what more could you want?

[cardsfans]

We just returned from our cruise and a tour with Spencer that included the boat ride to the beach. I have moderate arthritis and had no problem navigating in and out of the boat. There were always plenty of people, including Spencer and Kirk, to help everyone get in/out safely.

You can rent umbrellas and chairs or, I believe, eat at the restaurant that is part of the resort. Our day was a bit overcast so we didn't need the umbrellas. There are some "free" chairs along one side of the beach under the trees but they were all taken while we were there. I know Spencer offers several tours so maybe something other than "land and sea" would work best for those who really don't want beach time.

[ziggy793]

So I did Cosol tour on my first trip via cruise and I just returned after flying there and used Serenity Tours. My Cosol tour was fine, but it was very much like sheep herding. You are shoved into mini vans and given a driver. I didn't like that there were throngs of people. However, food was plentiful and we saw the majority of the island highlights. My biggest pet peeve was when the moving "bar" aka van with beverages supposedly broke down in the middle of the trip. Who knows if that is the truth. We were left without beverages for half the trip. Also, I did enjoy my trip and contacted him prior to our second trip there and after we told him we were only two people interested in a tour, he stopped replying. Coincidence? Again, who knows.

 

We just did some excursions with Serenity Tours and we were given amazing attention and privacy. We did most things as a couple and had a driver AND a ambassador leading us and answering all of our questions. I did not feel like a herd animal, more like a family member. Also, it was clear that Cosol was a great salesman, but Serenity was more about their St Lucian pride and their dedication to sharing the genuine island experience. So, all in all, Cosol was fine, but if you want a more intimate, personal experience, go with Serenity, may be $10 more than Cosol, but Carol's cooking and Rum Punch in themselves are worth the difference!

 

Feel free to contact me for more details.

 

And, make sure whoever you do a tour with has proper insurance and not just taxi insurance. BIG difference.

[Swann5]

It sounds like most people go with bigger groups, is it just as fun/fine to go with just two people?

 

Just back and had a great time with Consol!!! It was just my husband and I, but we soon made friends with the three other couples in our van and even stopped & chatted with the one couple we ran into repeated thereafter on the ship. We did not feel rushed or herded at any time. We learned a lot about St. Lucia and Consol's pride in his country is very evident. We enjoyed the many stops for photo ops and the breaktaking views. The bar was always open and the lunch buffet was fabulous!!! We enjoyed the water taxi ride and had a great time swimming between the Pitons and the beautiful beach. The fresh, warm bread with cheese was scrumptious! Back in time for an hour to shop at the port. What a great way to spend the day! :D

[HappyCampers3]

Just returned from our cruise and had booked a St. Lucia tour with Cosol. As there were several vans on the tour, our driver/guide was Yellowbird. Thank you Yellowbird for an awesome tour!!! We enjoyed ourselves very much!